Getting Pregnant and High Prolactin Levels

by Elizabeth
(Lagos Nigeria)

Can high prolactin levels cause infertility? My prolactin is high, can that stop me from getting pregnant?

Answer: Getting Pregnant and High Prolactin Levels

Prolactin is secreted by your pituitary gland and it is also produced by the endometrial cells in your uterus. Prolactin is generally released in order to stimulate milk production. It increases during pregnancy and it remains high while a woman is breastfeeding.

When the levels of prolactin are high (hyperprolactinemia) ovulation and menstrual cycle regularity will become affected. Women with high prolactin levels may also experience galactorrhea, which the discharge of milk from the breast when not pregnant or breastfeeding. Another effect of high prolactin levels is decreased sex drive.

Prolactin inhibits two hormones necessary for ovulation: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). When you have excess prolactin, ovulation is not triggered by the ovary. Women with high prolactin levels will experience anovulatory cycles that cause sub-fertility or complete infertility. Prolactin also causes irregularities of the menstrual cycle and is associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in some cases.

High prolactin usually results in low progesterone which makes your luteal phase (the second half of your menstrual cycle) shorter.

A short luteal phase also impairs your ability to become pregnant by prevent implantation of the embryo causing early miscarriage.
Your luteal phase should be of at least 10-12 days in length if you want to stay pregnant. If you do not know how long your luteal phase is, you should begin by taking you basal body temperature (BBT) every morning before getting out of bed.

This is called Fertility Charting. Charting your cycle is very important if you want to conceive, because you need to know exactly when who are going to ovulate and if your cycle and hormones are in balance.

What Causes High Prolactin Levels?
1. It's important to point out that certain medications, particularly antipsychotic can be responsible for high prolactin levels.

2. Some very rare cases of high levels of prolactin are caused by a pituitary tumor, which is due to the proliferation an growth of the cells that secrete prolactin. This cases hive really high values of prolactin and should not be confused with "high prolactin" levels as it pertains to fertility. I just wanted to point this out, in case you were worried.

3. Another important cause of high prolactin is hypothyroidism and this often goes hand in hand with irregular cycles, anovulation and infertility.

4. High stress levels are also related to high cortisol levels and high prolactin. In general high prolactin is not the only symptom, it comes with a set of symptoms often unique to each individual, by nonetheless all caused by a common culprit: high estrogen.


5. Most high levels of prolactin are related to hormonal imbalance caused by toxicity due to hormonal disruptors in your water, food, and in your environment. Toxicity affects the liver and the liver inability to release excess estrogen from the body leading to a condition, known as "estrogen dominance."

Estrogen Dominance & Infertility:

Toxins in your body affect the following hormonal conditions all causing infertility:

1. Low progesterone, DHEA, and pregnenolone

2. High cortisol, growth hormone and prolactin

There are many things women with high prolactin levels can do in order to increase their chances of getting pregnant. Herbal remedies can be very effective in lowering high prolactin levels in many cases.

Vitex For High Prolactin Levels:

Vitex Agnus Castus or Chaste tree berry is used because it acts on the hypothalamus and pituitary glands by increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) production increasing progesterone levels.
Vitex can be very effective in treating hyperprolactinemia (high prolactin levels) and luteal phase defect.

Vitex should be taken for 3-6 months in order to see results in lowering prolactin levels, increase the luteal phase, treat PCOS, and normalize the menstrual cycle.

Clinical studies have shown how women with high prolactin levels and irregular cycles were able to normalize their prolactin levels using a vitex compound remedy. Menstrual irregularity are also treated successfully with Vitex.

Vitex is a well tolerated herb, very gentle, very mild and safe if a woman gets pregnant (even if it is recommended to take once you have a positive pregnancy test). But it should not be taken at the same time with hormone replacement therapy, dopamine, birth control, or fertility drugs.

Many fertility herbal remedies have Vitex as main ingredients and can be very effective in helping women getting pregnant because Vitex action is on the pituitary gland stimulating the release of LH hormone.

Increasing levels of LH cause FSH to decrease leading to lower estrogen levels and higher progesterone. When progesterone goes up, luteal phase increases and pregnancy is supported. The LH surge also causes ovulation.

Studies have shown that Vitex has the following properties:

1. Normalize high levels of FSH and prolactin

2. Increase LH and progesterone secretion

3. Regulation of the menstrual cycle

4. re-establish ovulatory cycles

5. Increase fertility and pregnancy rate within 3-6 months

Herbal Remedies For High Prolactin & Infertility:

I recommend herbal remedies like to help normalize prolactin levels.

This remedy contains all the necessaru herbal ingredients to promote regular ovulatory cycles.

Fertility Blessings!